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“While Apple is taking away buttons, we found a way to add one”

So when we ran out of buttons to hide our software’s UI behind, it really forced us to use our imagination. Instead of squeezing UI in where it didn’t fit, we built a new button to conceal it: it’s called the Camera Button.

I didn’t even think this was possible.

Tony Fadell sues Andy Rubin for theft of trade secrets

Privately owned Keyssa Inc, backed by iPod co-creator Tony Fadell is suing Essential Products Inc, a smartphone startup founded by Andy Rubin, the co-creator of the Android mobile phone operating system, accusing it of theft of trade secrets in a lawsuit filed on Monday in U.S. federal court in San Francisco.

Andy Rubin basically stole iOS to create Android, so is it out of the realm to think he stole this technology from Fadell? Absolutely not. Especially since Rubin was in talks with Fadell’s company for 10 months.

One person’s history of Twitter, from beginning to end

Mike Monteiro: Twitter, which was conceived and built by a room of privileged white boys (some of them my friends!), never considered the possibility that they were building a bomb. To this day, Jack Dorsey doesn’t realize the size of … Continued

Tesla fires hundreds of employees

The dismissals come at a crucial point for the company, which is pushing to increase vehicle production five-fold and reach a broader market with its new Model 3 sedan. The electric vehicle maker missed targets for producing the lower-cost sedan, manufacturing only 260 last quarter despite a wait list of more than 450,000 customers.

Space out with planets in Google Maps

Twenty years ago, the spacecraft Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral on a journey to uncover the secrets of Saturn and its many moons. During its mission, Cassini recorded and sent nearly half a million pictures back to Earth, allowing scientists to reconstruct these distant worlds in unprecedented detail. Now you can visit these places—along with many other planets and moons—in Google Maps right from your computer. For extra fun, try zooming out from the Earth until you’re in space!

Very cool.

Irvue for macOS

I’m a big fan of Unsplash and this desktop app lets you tap into their collection of gorgeous images.

Elon Musk calls someone a nerd

Over the weekend, Elon Musk had a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). If you are into cars or rockets, this is an exceptional read, full of nerdy detail.

But this one back and forth moment jumped out at me:

  • Q: The concept of an internet connection on Mars is kinda awesome. You could theoretically make an internet protocol that would mirror a subset of the internet near Mars. A user would need to queue up the parts of the internet they wanted available and the servers would sync the relevant data. There could be a standard format for pages to be Mars renderable since server-side communication is impractical.

  • ELON MUSK: Nerd.

Musk does go on to answer the question, but I loved the response. Musk is human.

UPS dogs

I love dogs but, having been a delivery driver, I know the stress dogs can create. This is a fun Facebook page showing some of the wonderful dogs UPS drivers encounter during their day.

Qualcomm files lawsuit in China to ban iPhone production

The San Diego-based company aims to inflict pain on Apple in the world’s largest market for smartphones and cut off production in a country where most iPhones are made. The product provides almost two-thirds of Apple’s revenue. Qualcomm filed the suits in a Beijing intellectual property court claiming patent infringement and seeking injunctive relief, according to Christine Trimble, a company spokeswoman.

Damn!

Apple investigating issue with GarageBand and iOS 11

Apple has posted a support document noting that they are “aware of the issue” and are “investigating solutions” for an issue where some users are unable to open GarageBand after updating to iOS 11.

25 bad luck superstitions from around the world

I’ve always been fascinated by superstitions and their origins. Many of these are common to us here in North America and some seem “silly”. My mom was very superstition – for example, she thought it was bad luck to let a rocking chair rock with no one in it. What are your “odd” superstitions?

International “Verify Your Backups” Day!

This is just as fake as any of the made up “International Day of…” you see on Twitter but this one actually has a great message – your backups are useless if they can’t be used to restore your data.

Movies Anywhere: What you need to know

With Movies Anywhere, you can watch most of those digital movies across all of your connected accounts. Well, at least all of the ones connected to supported services, which currently are Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, and Vudu. Here’s everything you need to know about Movies Anywhere.

I don’t have this problem because I only purchase content from iTunes, but I know a lot of people that do have multiple accounts. Lory Gil did a nice article explaining how Movies Anywhere works.

Hullo: Stop Tossing and Turning on Your Sad Old Pillow

Thanks to Hullo for sponsoring the Loop this week. A hot, sweaty, flat pillow will wake even the deepest sleeper. Soft traditional pillows collapse under the weight of your head which can cause strains in your neck, shoulders and back. They also retain body heat, which can make sleep uncomfortably warm. It’s time to abandon tradition and try something new!

Have You Ever Slept on a Buckwheat Pillow?

They’re totally different than the soft spongey pillows you’re used to. A buckwheat pillow is sort of like a beanbag for your head. Their unique and firm support simply can’t be matched by traditional pillows. The buckwheat hull filling will perfectly conform to the shape of your head and neck, providing comfortable support all night long. Buckwheat pillows also allow air to move freely though your pillow, preventing uncomfortable heat build up. Sleep on the cool side of the pillow all night long!

Try our buckwheat pillow, Hullo, for 60 nights. If it’s not for you, ship it back to us it for a full refund.

Samsung in “unprecedented crisis” says vice chairman

“It is something I had been thinking long and hard about for quite some time. It has not been an easy decision, but I feel I can no longer put it off,” Vice Chairman Kwon said “As we are confronted with unprecedented crisis…

I’m willing to bet you could search for a long time and not see the words “unprecedented crisis” in a company’s own press release.

Taking “better pictures”

Like Ric, I have this conversation on a regular basis and his advice mirrors mine. As I teach in my classes for beginners, the camera you have really doesn’t matter. What you know about it specifically and photography in general are much more important.

Waymo demands $1 billion in settlement talks with Uber

Alphabet Inc’s Waymo sought at least $1 billion in damages and a public apology from Uber Technologies Inc as conditions for settling its high-profile trade secret lawsuit against the ride-services company, sources familiar with the proposal told Reuters.

They also want a public apology for stealing their trade secrets.

Using Long Exposure in iOS 11’s Photos app

Anyone who has used a DSLR to take long exposure shots will look at this technique with a little bit of envy. The iPhone shots aren’t perfect but they are damn good all things considered.

What’s inside all the iPhones

This is unabashed gadget porn. It won’t be of much value to the average user but, if you’re the kind of person who likes to take electronics apart, this is the page for you.

Apple releases iOS 11.0.3

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 11.0.3 with a couple of important updates for users. According to Apple, the update fixes an issue where audio and haptic feedback would not work on some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices. The update also addresses an issue where touch input was unresponsive on some iPhone 6s displays because they were not serviced with genuine Apple parts.

You can download the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.